Do you know how many CT examinations were performed in your department last year? How many of those were head exams, or neck? Which exams were performed the most or least frequently?
The CAR’s CT Accreditation Program (CTAP), which is nearing the completion of its pilot stage at Niagara Health under the leadership of Diagnostic Imaging Director Dr. Julian Dobranowski (McMaster University), is designed to analyze data points from imaging departments to develop metrics that drive change and maintain high standards of operation. It is a voluntary program for facilities that want to increase CT standards for their patients through continuous quality improvement.
The accreditation program is a user-friendly platform designed to gather data from a given facility and offer best practice standards for equipment specifications, image quality, safety procedures, patient interaction and more. These areas are assessed through the different stages of the accreditation process: the application, image evaluation, and maintenance of accreditation.
Some requirements of the program include providing updated testing information on units or submitting images from different exams – a first of its kind standard for CT accreditation in Canada.
Since the accreditation is meant to cover the various personnel within an imaging department, the program also assesses staff qualifications and minimum standards for Continued Professional Development, with links to patient care guidelines published by the CAR.
The philosophy of the CAR is to make accreditation a quality initiative with achievable expectations centred on patient outcomes, not about policing compliance. Since the very beginning of development, direct feedback from patients was gathered from meetings with Patient Partners at the Niagara Health Engagement Network and subsequently incorporated into the program. This has already produced insightful and easily implementable changes that can make any patient’s experience better, like posting the unit service information visibly or explaining what contrast dye is and its potential effects.
If you are interested in finding out more about the CAR’S CT Accreditation Program or other accreditation programs, please contact Marc Venturi, Director of Accreditation and Quality.